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Tuesday, 13 April 2010

When Adnan Nawaz appeared for his medical entrance exams in 2014, little did he know that he would get the chance to travel all the way from Patna to Guwahati to chase his dreams; to study in one of the premier institutions of North-East India- Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. Penfreak got in touch with him to know about his preparation strategies and tips and advice for the aspirants.

Q. Congratulations on cracking one of the toughest medical entrance exams, AIPMT. What was your rank? Apart from AIPMT, what were the other entrance exams you appeared for?

Adnan: Thank you. My AIPMT rank was 3008. Apart from AIPMT, I appeared for AIIMS, COMEDK and ICAR.

Q. Tell us something about your experience of studying in Guwahati, far-away from your hometown Patna.

Adnan: Staying away from home is not a new experience for me. After completing my 10th board exams from Patna, I was enrolled in Allen Career Institute, Kota, for a 2-year Classroom Program. During those 2 years, I used to visit home only during my Diwali vacations. So basically, I am used to it (laughs).

I was initially quite hesitant to come to Guwahati, owing to cultural and linguistic differences. But the idea of studying in Gauhati Medical College, one of the premier medical colleges of North-East India fascinated me. It was only after coming to Guwahati did I realize that the people here are very humble and friendly. My friends, seniors and teachers are really conducive and they make me feel at home.

Q.How was your experience of studying at Allen Career Institute, Kota? Tell us something about the faculty and the study environment there.

Adnan: I would say Allen Career Institute is one of the best coaching centres for clearing medical entrance exams. It has a high selection rate and provides the best competitive environment required for the aspirants. A high-class infrastructure and good study materials is what it boasts of. Study materials contain a chunk of information, but the most important topics/points were elucidated by the teachers. Allen has an excellent faculty and the teachers are extremely proficient. The teachers provided a wide spectrum to my mind, providing me positivity towards achieving this goal.

Q. How did you balance your studies for boards and medical entrance?

Adnan: Actually, I didn’t prepare very well for the board exams. Chemistry and Biology preparation was almost the same as my preparation for the entrance exams. Preparing for physics was a bit hectic because you have to mug up all the derivations for the board exams. However they provided me some study materials for all the four subjects- Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English, meant exclusively for boards preparation. I devoted all my time in preparing for the entrance exams, but the last 2 months before the board exams, was meant exclusively for boards preparation.

Q. How did you study? Did you follow a schedule?

Adnan: Schedule is just a matter of a pen and a paper. Most of us tend to make a routine and then follow it for a maximum of 1 week. After that, we tend to forget it. I just managed to keep myself not lagged behind. I used to study regularly and revise those chapters, whenever I got time. Whatever you study is just vapour, if you don’t revise it regularly. I would advise all the aspirants to make a list of the chapters and revise them regularly, such that none of the chapters get lagged behind. Go through your list regularly and revise all the chapters, not just those chapters that you like to revise.

Q. How did you study during the last one month?

Adnan: There was nothing special I did during the last one month. As usual, I used to revise all the chapters. But I would advise all the aspirants to take special care of their health during this period.

Q. What would be your advice for other aspirants?

Adnan: Nervousness kills the positivity within you and breaks your confidence. Try not to be jittery under any circumstances while answering the paper. If you are unable to solve a question at the first go, simply relax! Leave it and try to attempt it, only after you have solved rest of the questions. If you are still unable to solve it, assure yourself that the question is extremely difficult and no one else will be able to solve it.

60% of the paper consists of basic questions, which are extremely easy to answer. So, solve your paper in two attempts- in the first one, you have to search for these 60% questions and rest, in the second attempt. Also, try to improve your speed as AIPMT demands you to answer 180 questions in 3 hours. Do not forget to carry your watch with you on the day of exam.

Entrance exam is based on 70% study and 30% luck! Do not lose your confidence. Stay positive and nail the exams!

It was probably a dream come true for Arindam Roy Choudhury, when he bagged the second rank in the Assam Combined Entrance Examination (CEE), ‘14. Hailing from Barpeta, Arindam completed his +2 from Cotton College, Guwahati and is currently pursuing his MBBS from Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati. In an interview, he shared with us his views and preparation strategies for the medical entrance exams. Here are some excerpts of the same:

Q. Congratulations on securing 2nd rank in Assam CEE,’14. What were some of the other exams you sat for, apart from CEE?

Arindam: Ah, thank you! But that was a long time ago (laughs).Apart from CEE, I appeared for AIPMT and AIIMS and secured AIR 2078 in AIPMT

Q. When did you decide to become a doctor?

Arindam: In this competitive world, getting into professional courses has been the dream of many teens. In our state Assam, the journey begins from the moment you pass your HSLC exam. Being a doctor was my dream and cracking the CEE was the first hurdle to overcome.

Q. Did you take any coaching? How does it help?

Arindam: I was baffled by the enthusiasm of the local students, who had already taken admission in the premium coaching institutes of Guwahati. I initially started my classes in a Board level coaching centre but later, realized that I should also get into the ‘race’ and start preparing for entrances. It was then, that I ordered the DLP package of Aakash Institute and joined Lalan Sir’s Chemistry Classes.

Yes, it does help a lot, you know. If you sincerely attend Lalan Sir’s classes, you can easily master the basic concepts of Chemistry. Not to forget his Daily Practice Papers, which proved really helpful. Moreover, unlike other coaching institutes, sir is very approachable; you can clear all your doubts, no matter how silly they are.

Q. Which books did you follow?

Arindam: Well, this question has been asked by a lot of people (laughs). You don't have to buy half a dozen of references. Instead, follow one but go through all the chapters in it. I used to read NCERT text books and solve questions of the corresponding chapter from the Aakash books. Following the NCERT course is very important as it is the basis of all exam papers. So don't go on with your coaching books only, keep the NCERT books by your side and by doing so, you can maintain a balance between your boards and entrance exams.

Q. It is often seen that students face some problem managing their time. Would you like to give them any advice?

Arindam: Managing time for your classes and your own study is the most difficult part. A daily study of 2-3 hrs is enough. And by daily I mean ‘DAILY’, you just can't miss a single day!

Q. What would be your advice to other aspirants?

Arindam: For all the aspirants out there, 1 more month to go. Give your best. Keep revising your chapters. And dedicate 60% of your study time in solving objectives. This will boost your confidence and speed.

Some smart tricks for exams- Be calm and composed. Do not invest more than a minute in a question. If a question is not solved, move on to the next. Answer an easy or a hard question, either will fetch you same mark. And do answer all the questions in CEE, as there is no negative marking. If you are left with 40 questions unsolved, and you need to put on a blind guess; answer the same option for all the 40.